PMLiVE needs YOU!

In January 2009, PMGroup launched a brand new PMLiVE website, using new technology, design and structure. A year on, we reflect on these achievements, taking a look at how the site is being used and ask you, the users what you think.

In the year that Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44th President of the US, the Icelandic government and banking system collapsed, Slovakia adopted the Euro as its national currency, Albania and Croatia joined NATO, a global flu pandemic broke out, Michael Jackson's death shocked the world, and the Prime Minister of Belgium, Herman Van Rompuy, was designated the first permanent President of the European Council...

...PMLiVE went from this:

to this:

Following months of research, planning and (sometimes heated) discussion, the structure of the site was completely changed to allow you to search for content regardless of where it originated. A brand new section, Find-a-Service, was introduced allowing you to search for agencies to work with, identify conflicts of interest and find therapeutic area expertise. The online premium profiles within Find-a-Service also proved to be the ideal opportunity for agencies to showcase their work. The Gallery was completely revamped and over 30 agencies in 2009 took advantage of the opportunity to put their best ads out there for all to see.

PMLiVE's jobs boards continue to prove popular with over 3,000 vacancies being advertised on the site throughout 2009.

Digital editions were also introduced, allowing you to browse the latest editions of PMGroup's products as fully searchable ebooks. In addition, the digital back catalogue provides access to issues of Pharmaceutical Marketing, Pharmaceutical Marketing Europe, Communiqué and The Directory from the past three years.

A dedicated Training and Advice section provides access to a comprehensive back catalogue of PMGroup's reports and guides including the 10 Ways to... series, Practical Guides and the country-based Focus On supplements. In addition, PMLiVE now offers both a training-specific and a more general events calendar to which users can add details of conferences, training courses etc, as well as search for upcoming, relevant events to attend.  

During 2009, we launched a section dedicated to our two prestigious awards ceremonies and our photo galleries have proved to be a hit with you, our users. The awards section was the most popular area of PMLiVE over the last six months of the year.

PMLiVE TV was launched in December 2009 to showcase exclusive interviews and hot industry topics. If you haven't already seen it, take a look at John Clare's interview with ABPI president Chris Brinsmead.

What's hot...

With a website as vast as PMLiVE, it is always interesting to see what content is popular with our users. As the web editor, I have my own ideas on which topics are hot at any particular time or which key events in the industry can stir a reaction. However, the real indicator of which content is important, is to measure what you, the users view most frequently.

 *Analysis of news and features viewed on PMLiVE excludes any coverage of PMGroup's Communiqué and Pharmaceutical Marketing Effectiveness Awards (PMEA).

The most popular feature of 2009 was The backbone of marketing, in which Claire Gillis discussed the (at the time of writing) relatively new philosophy of market access. 

A brief analysis of traffic to the news section of PMLiVE, shows that news about the healthcare agencies is extremely popular, as well as coverage of the numerous awards ceremonies relevant to our industry that occur throughout the year. I was also pleased to see that Erectile dysfunction tackled through film, one of the first pieces of content on PMLiVE to embrace the use of video, proved to be the second most popular news story of 2009.

The techie bit
As expected, the majority of users accessed PMLiVE from a PC using Microsoft Internet Explorer. A growing number of you are now using iPhones, Blackberries and other smartphones as well as iPods to access the website, and we had a handful of users logging on via Nintendo Wiis, Playstations and PSPs.

It came as no surprise to learn that the majority of our users are based in the UK followed by the US. However, we've seen a steady increase in users accessing the site from India, and have one loyal user in Azerbaijan.

Actively engage
For those involved in the project, it is hard to believe the re-launch was a whole year ago. There have been some highs, and inevitably lows, along the way with a tweak here and a restructure there. We've taken onboard feedback (the bad as well as good) and where possible, we've continued to improved the service we offer you.

As web editor, I'm tremendously proud of our achievements over the past 12 months. I'm also aware that our job isn't yet done. We still have areas to tweak and will also have some exciting new offerings online for 2010. Your continued feedback is appreciated.

So what's next?
Analysing masses of website analytics is an important part of any web editor's role, but it can't ever provide the full picture - What topics are important to you? What reference material would make your job easier? Which breaking news stories are most relevant? I want to know how we can improve PMLiVE, making it a more useful resource for you. I'm eager to see how the data available through website analytical software compares to the views of real, human users - what are the similarites? and where do the numbers tell a different story to the words?

As the users of PMLiVE, your opinion on how you would like to see the site improved is important to us - We want to hear from you.

Please take the time to complete our online user survey and have your say about PMLiVE. Every completed entry will also be added into a prize draw* to win £200 of Amazon vouchers.

The Author
Sian Banham is web editor of PMLiVE.
To comment on this article, email webeditor@pmlive.com

*Rules and Regulations: Only one entry permitted per person. The prize must be accepted as offered: no cash alternative is available.